I just watched hte classic Federer vs Rochus match from Halle 2006. I noticed the ball goes through the court more and doesn't kick up. THe slice is much more effective shot than driving the backhand. It appears to me that the courts is faster. However, this is just from watching the match.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Noveson

07-12-2007, 11:14 PM

Try doing a search. There are tons of rants about them slowing the Wimbledon surface all over here.

bdawg

07-13-2007, 12:00 AM

but does the current halle surface reflect old wimbledon conditions?

ATPattic

07-13-2007, 10:45 AM

Wimbledon is much slower than both Halle and Queens

A.T.S.

07-13-2007, 11:05 AM

Ok so here it is. Wimbledon 2007 2 days befor the slam starts they recieve balls, lots, and lots of balls. They figure "eh, since we have to change balls aver 4 or 5 games why dont we just take them out of their pretty little pressurized cans!" So they do and the balls rest for 2 days and lose pressure which causes them to be slower on the courts. How do I know this you might ask? Because while Henman was playing Moya I believe it was Patrick McEnroe who stated that Henman was ranting about how the balls where slower on the court so McEnroe said, "Apparently they tale out the balls 2 days before the slam starts so imagine you leaving a tennis ball sitting around for a month and you know how it becomes squishy and doesn't bounce." Mary Carillo replied "so instead of opening them while matches are going on they open them since they're gonna open them anyways. So there efficiency makes some players suffer like you said Tim Henman does."

Not diminished actually but increased in view of Nadal....because he still beat the King of SLOW surfaces on the slowest grass.

Kim

07-13-2007, 12:06 PM

If the grass were faster, Fed will win Wimbledon each year 6-0 6-0 6-0 or something near...and Nadal won't even reach the 3rd or 4th round. So in a way the slower grass makes Fed's wimby wins even greater in perspective.

Eviscerator

07-13-2007, 12:12 PM

Ok so here it is. Wimbledon 2007 2 days befor the slam starts they recieve balls, lots, and lots of balls. They figure "eh, since we have to change balls aver 4 or 5 games why dont we just take them out of their pretty little pressurized cans!" So they do and the balls rest for 2 days and lose pressure which causes them to be slower on the courts. How do I know this you might ask? Because while Henman was playing Moya I believe it was Patrick McEnroe who stated that Henman was ranting about how the balls where slower on the court so McEnroe said, "Apparently they tale out the balls 2 days before the slam starts so imagine you leaving a tennis ball sitting around for a month and you know how it becomes squishy and doesn't bounce." Mary Carillo replied "so instead of opening them while matches are going on they open them since they're gonna open them anyways. So there efficiency makes some players suffer like you said Tim Henman does."

I liked those white Wimbledon balls. Nothing special, just look cool.

Assuming what you say is true about opening the balls days in advance, I'd demand to play with new balls during my match if I were a player. If they refused I'd make a huge public stink about it so everyone would know what lengths they were going to to alter the conditions. It is one thing to change the grass to slow the game down, and even another to change and pack the under-surface to make the balls bounce up higher, but letting the balls depressurize over a few days before play is absurd.

Assuming that it is true of course.

sondraj

07-13-2007, 12:49 PM

If the grass were faster, Fed will win Wimbledon each year 6-0 6-0 6-0 or something near...and Nadal won't even reach the 3rd or 4th round. So in a way the slower grass makes Fed's wimby wins even greater in perspective.

Rafa did quite fine at what was it Halle this year. and last year so, yeah and don't forget he took a set of Roger last year as well. And I don't remember rafa being a chump on fast surfaces either. 2-2 h2h on hard against Fed uh yeah

MEAC_ALLAMERICAN

07-13-2007, 01:11 PM

Rafa did quite fine at what was it Halle this year. and last year so, yeah and don't forget he took a set of Roger last year as well. And I don't remember rafa being a chump on fast surfaces either. 2-2 h2h on hard against Fed uh yeah

Nadal played in Halle 2005; he has played the Queens warm-up for the past 2 years...

But I think as he gets older he will adapt his game more to the faster surfaces, I can't wait to see how he performs at Flushing Meadows 2007.

Bassus

07-13-2007, 07:06 PM

Ok so here it is. Wimbledon 2007 2 days befor the slam starts they recieve balls, lots, and lots of balls. They figure "eh, since we have to change balls aver 4 or 5 games why dont we just take them out of their pretty little pressurized cans!" So they do and the balls rest for 2 days and lose pressure which causes them to be slower on the courts. How do I know this you might ask? Because while Henman was playing Moya I believe it was Patrick McEnroe who stated that Henman was ranting about how the balls where slower on the court so McEnroe said, "Apparently they tale out the balls 2 days before the slam starts so imagine you leaving a tennis ball sitting around for a month and you know how it becomes squishy and doesn't bounce." Mary Carillo replied "so instead of opening them while matches are going on they open them since they're gonna open them anyways. So there efficiency makes some players suffer like you said Tim Henman does."

I liked those white Wimbledon balls. Nothing special, just look cool.

Yeah, I remember Chris Fowler wasn't exactly convinced by the given reason for opening the balls early. He said its not as if they don't have people who can't open the cans shortly before they are used.